Nowadays, Bingo pops up as a supporting character within the main titles every so often. Plus his reruns have recurring appearances within the JUGHEAD & ARCHIE COMICS DOUBLE DIGEST series, so it was a pleasant surprise to see Bingo show up in a new story where he is the focus of things.
Jughead shows up in this story, but he's clearly a supporting character. He's at a lake spending time with his cousin. He might have top-billing in this particular tale, but Bingo is definitely the star. Basically, Jughead sticks around just long enough to kick off the action!
It seems that Bingo offered to take his girlfriend Samantha on a river cruise -- except that he has no money! He cannot afford a motor boat, so he got a kayak instead. The problem is that he has no clue how to run the darned thing!
Not only does Bingo have to figure out how to run a kayak, but his rival -- Mr. Teddy Tamborine -- is already out on the water, riding on his own power boat with the pretty Samantha. It's possible that you aren't familiar with Teddy Tamborine. I know I wasn't. Think "Reggie Mantle with Sunglasses" and you know Teddy Tamborine.
Teddy begins creating trouble for Bingo the minute That Wilkin Boy makes it out into the open water! Do you suppose that'll impress young Samatha Smythe? I think Teddy needs to set his sights on Cheryl Blossom. This is much more her style!
This was a fun story, but you could easily have replaced Bingo, Samantha, and Teddy with Archie, Betty, and Reggie. Still, it's good to see some of Archie Comics' other comic book properties getting some page-space.
"Kayak Crazy" was written by Tom DeFalco, penciled by Pat & Tim Kennedy, inked by Jim Amash, lettered by Jack Morelli, and colored by Digikore Studios.